1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to multi terminal electrical connectors and, more particularly, to a simplified but effective mechanism for readily mating and unmating a pair of connectors and for securely maintaining them in the mated condition until their release is desired.
2. Brief Description of Earlier Developments
Electrical connectors are used in a variety of applications for making large numbers of electrical interconnections. A connector typically includes two components: a housing or other body member and a plurality of terminals or electrical contact elements mounted on the housing. A connector may be attached to the end of a multi-conductor cable, and a second connector may be mechanically and electrically interconnected to a printed circuit or wiring board, or both connectors may be attached to cables or both connectors may be interconnected to a pair of boards. Regardless of the application, electrical connectors often are difficult to mate or interconnect when they mount a large number of terminals.
With the increasing use of electrical and electronic components in a wide variety of consumer products, the provision of reliable electrical connections to and between such components has become increasingly difficult, for not only are larger numbers of components being used, but the components are becoming more complex, requiring larger numbers of wires and connectors. With miniaturization of the electronics, the space available in many consumer products is becoming crowded, and all of these factors combine to magnify the problem of installing, replacing, or repairing the electronic components. Typically, such components are interconnected by means of complex wiring harnesses which may incorporate large numbers of wires and cables. These harnesses usually are fashioned with standardized connectors at their ends to permit them to be connected directly to corresponding terminals on the components or to permit them to be interconnected with other wires, cables, or harnesses. Such connectors must permit easy and accurate connection of the wiring harnesses and in addition must be easily releasable to permit quick repair or replacement of electrical components, wiring harnesses, or the like. Such connectors must be not only easy to use, but must be extremely rugged so that they can withstand multiple connections and disconnections, while at the same time being capable of withstanding harsh environmental conditions.
Furthermore, as the number of cables and harnesses increases, the space available for mounting these connectors becomes more limited, with the result that the dimensions of the connectors themselves must be reduced, even as the number of terminals they can accommodate must be increased. Typically, a multi terminal connector includes a first connector element which incorporates a large number of terminal pins or blades and a second, complementary, connector element which incorporates a large number of terminal sockets. To assemble these two connector elements, the terminal pins or blades must engage corresponding terminal sockets and be seated firmly therein so that the required electrical connections between individual wires in a wiring harness are completed. Although an individual pin or blade may require only a moderate amount of force to engage a corresponding socket, as the number of terminals increases within a connector, and/or as the size of the pins or blades and sockets decreases, and as the pins or blades and sockets become more closely spaced due to miniaturization, the force required to assemble the connector plug and receptacle terminals is multiplied many times over. As a result, assembly or disassembly of connectors with large numbers of terminals becomes a significant problem. Similar problems are encountered when attempting to separate the two elements of a connector, for with a large number of terminals, the force required to pull them apart can be quite large. This is particularly a problem when the connector elements have been assembled for a long period of time in a harsh environment which tends to freeze the components together. In addition, where the connector is dimensionally small with a large number of terminal pins or blades and sockets packed close together, the forces required to assemble or disassemble the connector elements can be very high, making it very difficult to manually press the parts together or pull them apart, particularly if the connector is in a location which is hard to reach.
One solution to this problem has been the provision of bolts which pass through one connector element and engage corresponding threaded brass inserts embedded in the other connector element. By tightening the bolts the two connectors are drawn together to assemble the connector. However, although often used, such an arrangement has numerous disadvantages. For example, the bolt arrangement requires the use of a special tool such as a pneumatic wrench, and in addition requires extra manufacturing steps and extra cost to mate the necessary brass inserts and to embed them in the connector housing. If the bolt is cross-threaded during assembly of the connector, the connector and its attached harness may be made unusable, thus increasing the cost of such an approach to the assembly of two part connectors.
A number of patents typify conventional assemblies. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,568,131 to Kennedy discloses an electrical cable connector for joining flat connector cables using a pair of screw jacks. U.S. Pat. No. 4,952,161 to Komatsu discloses a card connector including an ejector mechanism for releasably connecting a memory card such as a PCMCIA card to a computer.
The following patents disclose various mechanisms for releasably locking mating housings of a two-part multi terminal electrical connector: For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,201,665 to McCardell, Jr. et al., a cam lock mechanism engages a simple follower stub or peg integral to the mating member. U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,448 to Hahn discloses an involute gearing or rack and pinion system for mating and unmating the opposed electrical connectors. U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,654 to Colleran et al. discloses a mechanism according to which a cam mechanism or first mating connector engages a follower on a second mating connector. The follower, in the form of a peg is mounted on an essentially rigid bar and is part of the second connector. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,620,328 to Yamamoto et al. a pivotal plate is pivotally disposed on one of a pair of housings adapted to be mutually coupled. A pair of leaf springs are interposed between one of the housings and the pivotal plate. A latch is provided for locking the two housings upon coupling. When the pair of housings is to be coupled, the pivotal plate is pivoted by the action of the leaf springs, and this occurs after the two housings reach an intermediate state of coupling. U.S. Pat. No. 5,833,484 to Post et al. discloses another involute stub operating as a rack and pinion to drive a first connector downward onto a second connector.
The present invention relates to an electrical connector assembly which includes a headshell with a first connector for terminating a plurality of electrical leads intended for mechanical and electrical connection with a mating second connector. An elongated latch member is freely received within a passage which extends between front and rear faces of the headshell and has first and second lateral sidewalls, the latch member being simultaneously movable by an external actuator longitudinally and laterally between a first retracted position interfering with connection of the first and second mating connectors and a second advanced position enabling connection of the first and second connectors. When returned to the first position, a grapnel blade on the latch member becomes lockingly engaged with a housing for the second connector. In this condition, the first and second connectors are mechanically and electrically connected. In the first position, the latch member lies proximate the second side wall and in the second position, it lies proximate the first side wall.
A primary feature, then, of the present invention is the provision of a simplified but effective mechanism for readily mating and unmating a pair of connectors and for securely maintaining them in the mated condition until their release is desired.
Another feature of the present invention is the provision of such a locking and release mechanism for a cable headshell which contains one connector to be joined; in the open position, the latch extends from the face of the cable headshell allowing entry of the latch into a cutout in the panel of a component which contains a mating connector with rotation of a lever retracting the latch towards the cable headshell and moving the latch laterally to engage the side wall of the panel cutout and thereby drawing the mating connectors into full engagement while subsequent rotation of the lever from the locked position to the open position ejects the cable headshell, thereby completely separating the mating connectors.
Other and further features, advantages, and benefits of the invention will become apparent in the following description taken in conjunction with the following drawings. It is to be understood that the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory but are not to be restrictive of the invention. The accompanying drawings which are incorporated in and constitute a part of this invention, illustrate one of the embodiments of the invention, and together with the description, serve to explain the principles of the invention in general terms. Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the disclosure.